Pursue Love and Peace, Part 3.

Pursue Love 
Every Spring Break my family and I are ready to be somewhere that’s warmer…whether it’s AZ or Gulf Shores. There’s just something about soaking in the sun.
When we’re in Iowa during those cold months, I look forward to some warm/comfort food and or beverages. Nothing like a warm bowl of Cream of Wheat, or Tapioca. Or a nice hot coffee.
That which makes us feel warm is so refreshing.

Today we’re going to discuss the idea of Pursuing Love.
Love Defined…
-“the quality of warm regard for and interest in another, esteem, affection, regard, love…of human love…without indication of the person who is the object of interest.” (BAGD, p. 6).
- Warm / fuzzy feelings.

- BAGD Lexicon Pursue Definition on p. 254. 
Dioko - “to follow in haste to find something, run after, pursue…figuratively, pursue, strive for, seek after, aspire to something.”

Love’s close companion.
- Faith.   Pistis...as a Christian virtue, is often coupled with agape [love]…(BAGD 818-820).
1 Timothy 6:11 (NKJV) But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (NKJV).
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

ADD to your FAITH
- 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith…love.

Go after it…Pursue it.

Godly love is to be pursued.

• The issue…
  • In 1980, Johnny Lee released a song entitled, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.
    • Looking for the warm fuzzies in the all the wrong places and or people that God never intended for us to do.
    • Are we not witnessing that in our communities today?
• The Apostle Paul reminds us of this in
  • 1 Corinthians 14:1a, 1 Timothy 6:11, and 2 Timothy 2:22…Pursue love.
• Are you chasing after Godly love? If so, then it will be evident to yourself and to others.

 
Genuine love is revealing.

• Do I have the Holy Spirit residing within me?
  • Gal. 5:22 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
  • John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
• Do I truly love and obey the Lord and His ways?
  • Matthew 22:36-38 (NIV) 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 
  • John 14:15…If you love Me you’ll keep my commandments.
  • John 21:17 (NLT) A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.
• Do I truly love others?
  • Matthew 22:39-40 (NIV) 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
  • John 15:12-13 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
  • A lady once said, “that in order to be successful in Network Marketing you have to have a love of people. She believes that the people who are at the top of their game really think about others and how they can help them.”
    • Is that a mindset you can relate with?
• Does loving God and others matter?
  • Such acts are a testimony to an observant world.
    • John 13:35 (NIV) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
  • This is what we’ve been taught to do…the example laid out before us. Nothing worse than teaching and setting an example and come to find out that your followers haven’t caught it.
    • Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9-10 (BSB) And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows, Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. And indeed, you are showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more…
    • Hebrews 5:12 (NLT) You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.
  • A loveless life is just noise. It’s just words that aren’t backed up by actions
    • “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate [nothing but a clanging cymbal]. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7, The Message)” For King & Country song lyrics from The Proof of Your Love
• What reward is there for pursuing genuine love?
  • Grand discoveries.
    • Proverbs 21:21 Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.
  • Living in abundant Joy.
    
    • John 15:10-11 (NLT) When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 
  • An eternal friendship.​
    • John 15:14, 17 You are my friends if you do what I command.17 This is my command: Love each other.

Beautiful collision... obedience and genuine love collide.

​Christ showed you the greatest example of what love looks like. Now who is it that you’re pouring your love, confidence and ambition into? Are you willing to lay your life down for others? Sacrificing and putting their needs before your own. What’s the x-ray of your hearts going to reveal today?


Pursue Peace
The next virtue/characteristic that we ought to seek to pursue it PEACE.

• 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (NKJV).  

How can there be peace between people?

• Have you ever listened to a 7th grade band in comparison to an adult symphony? One of the major differences that comes with experience is harmonization. When a group is in harmony with each other it’s a beautiful result.
• Eirane… “a state of concord (agreement), peace, harmony…harmony in personal relationships peace, harmony…strive toward peace. (BAGD p. 287).
• Amos 3:3 (NKJV) Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? 
  • That walking or working together is evidence of agreeing to harmonize, or strive toward peace together. Otherwise, it’s a mess.

Where does peace come from?

• 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
• Gal. 5:22 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

What should I do with this peace? 

• Pursue it so others can see Jesus in you.
  • BAGD Lexicon Pursue Definition on p. 254.
    • Dioko - “to follow in haste to find something, run after, pursue…figuratively, pursue, strive for, seek after, aspire to something.”
      • Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
      • 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (NKJV).
  • Heb. 12:14 (NKJV) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
  • 1 Pet. 3:11 (NKJV) Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it.
  • Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (KJV).
  • Romans 14:19 (NKJV) Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

How is our peace often forfeited?

• When our minds don’t stay on or trust in Him.
  • Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
• When we don’t pray.
  • Song: What A Friend We Have in Jesus by Alan Jackson
    • What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
      What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
      O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
      All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

 
Beautiful Collision: When all that happens within our daily lives and peace collide.